Anytime
by Liz Hollow
Summary: After Ron is attacked, Hermione stays with him. Afraid he is dying, his pain obvious, she asks him what he really wants in life.


**Anytime**

Anytime you feel  
Like you just can't hold on  
Just hold on to my love  
And I'll help you be strong  
But you're so afraid to lose,  
And baby I can't reach your heart  
I can't face this world  
That's keeping us apart  
When I can be the one to show you  
Everything you missed before  
Just hold on now,  
'Cause I could be the one to give you more  
Let you know

Thick brown hair whipped around, and a gasp escaped her lips. The stick that she held in her hand pointed out into the open air, illuminated at the end. Her russet eyes scanned the area, and she turned back around, stumbling as she did so over a root of a tree, and letting another gasp break away. She regained position, and continued walking with two other people by her side, staring at her as she laughed nervously.

"I thought I heard something. A branch crack, or something. This place is spooky, Godric's Hollow. Especially at night," the girl said, and one of the others laughed. It was a deep laugh, proving the person to a man, or a teenage boy. That one was taller than the girl, but shorter than the other person.

"I bet you were the one who stepped on a branch, Hermione," the tallest (another boy) said, and the girl—Hermione, as the he had called her—snorted. She rolled her eyes, and looked up at the boy, the stick she had lighting his fiery red hair. The stick, it seemed, was a magic device called a wand, and the teenagers were two wizards and a witch.

"Oh Ron, will you please do us all a favor and shut up?" Hermione asked him. "And I'm sure Harry agrees." She moved her wand over to the shorter of the two males, whose glasses were askew, and his hair was a giant knot. He—Harry—laughed, and Hermione smirked over at Ron, the redheaded male.

"Nope, I will do you no fav—whoa, I think I heard a branch crack too," Ron muttered suddenly, turning his body around and pointing his also lit wand out into the blackness in front of him. He looked around, and turned his head to Hermione and Harry, shrugging his shoulders. "Maybe you're—"

"Maybe you're the one who stepped on a branch, Ronald," Hermione sniggered. _But I bet there is someone out there. I just don't know—_ "ARGH!" she screamed, as someone shouted words, and Ron fell to his knees. "Harry! Ron!"

"Hermione, help Ron. I need to chase this guy off. Be careful, and keep your wand out," Harry yelled, and ran towards the sound of the voice. Hermione looked down at Ron, and bended down, to sit him up.

"Hey, Ron," she said calmly. "Are you okay?" Ron nodded, but looked as though he was hurt. "Here, hold onto my hand. We can wait here till Harry comes back. Let's just get you up and standing. I think it'll be better for you."

"Hermione, I hurt," Ron said, biting his lip and exhaling. "Do you know any healing spells? I know you do, please don't tell me you can't remember any. You remember everything. It's me who forgets. Please Hermione…"

"I won't tell you then."

"Damn it…God this hurts. What the hell did that Death Eater use on me? Argh…it hurts so bad," he squeezed her hand tighter, but then loosened his grip and let go of her hand. "It hurts Hermione, I want it to stop. Should I just give up now?"

Anytime you need love baby I'm on your side (hey)  
Just let me be the one I can make it alright (I can make it alright)  
Anytime you need love baby you're in my heart  
I can make it alright

"No, no. Hold on, it'll only be a bit longer. Let's talk…it makes time go faster. Harry will be back in no time. What have you always wanted to do?" Hermione asked, and Ron pondered this. She looked at his pale face, his eyes, his mouth.

"Anything?"

"Anything at all."

"I want our friendship to last forever. Until we all die. That's not really a 'to do,' but that's what I want. Even if one of us goes before the other, I want us to stay friends. Even if I go first. Make sure Harry makes it out too," Ron said. Hermione shook her head, closing her eyes for a moment, and looking away.

"You aren't going. Everything's going to be alright. Trust me on that one. You trust me, don't you?" Hermione asked, and Ron took her hand back and nodded.

I look into your eyes,  
And I feel it coming through  
And I can't help but want you,  
More than I want to  
So baby take all of your fears,  
And cast them all on me  
'Cause all I ever wanted  
Was just to make you see  
That I could be the one to give you  
All that you've been searching for  
Just hold on to my love,  
And baby let me give you more  
You know, anytime

Hermione looked at him. Her eyes traveled over his red hair, and back down to his face. Oh, his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes. Yes, she loved him very much. Right now—not sure if he really did have a chance—she didn't want to. If she lost him, she wouldn't be able to find a reason to live. That's how much she loved him.

_No,_ she thought angrily. _He'll be fine. He's afraid, I'm afraid, but he'll be fine. He'll be peachy. But why doesn't he notice the subtle things. Ron, please look into me…_

"What do you want beside that?" she asked, hoping for the answer she wanted. She knew she wasn't going to get it. "Besides us being friends forever, what do you want?" _Please, please. Tell me, please?_ she thought desperately.

Anytime you need love baby I'm on your side (I'm on your side)  
Just let me be the one I can make it alright (I can make it alright)  
Anytime you need love baby you're in my heart  
I can make it alright

"There's nothing else to want, is there?" Ron shrugged, gasping in pain again. Hermione frowned, and grasped his other hand, facing him, sitting cross-legged. She squeezed them both, making sure he knew she was there for him.

"Nothing at all?" she finally inquired, and Ron bit his lip again. She didn't know if this was out of pain, or something else. The something else being he didn't want to tell her. She figured it was that, as he didn't make a pained face. Maybe he was getting good at concealing it though. If he loved her, maybe he was doing it for her. That would be beautiful. She decided that it was because he didn't want to tell her want else he wanted.

"Well, maybe I need someone to love."

And now there's no way out  
And I can't help the way I feel  
'Cause baby you're the fire  
And I'll be waiting right here  
You know my love is real, baby  
Yeah, yeah, yeah

_Yes, yes, yes! I'm here for you. I'm waiting for you. I've been waiting half a dozen years for this! Who is it you love? Come on, for me?_ she screamed in her head, almost feeling herself bouncing in excitement, even at a time like this. He looked at her, confused, but forced a strained smile anyways. It looked painful for him. Yes, before it was definitely not him concealing his pain, if he couldn't suppress it now.

"Like who?" Hermione asked, a smile plastered on her face, her nosiness creeping in. There were so many signs. As eighteen-year-olds, they were worse at hiding their feelings for another, and he was unquestionably one of the people who could not do that.

But if she knew, then how was it she was asking him? If she knew, why didn't she say anything to him now? If she knew, then why wasn't she pouring her heart out to him? If she knew, why wasn't she crying for him right now?

Anytime you need love baby I'm on your side, you know  
Just let me be the one I can make it alright (I can make it all, make it all, make it alright)  
Anytime you need love baby you're in my heart  
I can make it alright, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

"Like you," Ron said, his face turning a bright shade of red, more scarlet than his hair. Hermione's head was screaming in joy. "Hermione, I wanted to tell you before we even left to help Harry find all the Horcruxes. But I couldn't tell you. If I lost you, then I wouldn't be able to bare it. But if I die now, without you knowing, then I'd feel worse. I'd be in worse pain then I am now. That'd be really painful, you know that? Really, really painful."

"Oh, Ron. If I lost you, I'd feel so guilty that I never told you. It was obvious that we liked each other, I'm sure even Crabbe or Goyle noticed, and they are the most oblivious people ever. We knew we liked each other. After fourth year, especially. I knew you were jealous of Viktor Krum. And sixth year was like death to me. You and Lavender…'Oh, Won-Won,'" she mocked in a high-pitched voice, and frowned. "You did that to get me jealous, didn't you. I heard about what Ginny said to you, how you were the only one who had never snogged anyone, how you thought I snogged Krum. So you got with Lavender to prove a point to Ginny, and to make me jealous. I've liked you for a long time Ron. We never needed to make each other jealous to get us together."

"I know. I was just mad at what Ginny had said. I knew I was making you jealous. Those birds hurt by the way," Ron pointed out, and clutched his rib cage, doubling over in discomfort. He coughed, and cleared his throat. "Sorry. But I was just so mad. When I saw I was making you jealous, I continued staying with Lavender, hoping you'd come forward to me. That obviously didn't work very well, considering…well, yes, it didn't work well."

"No, it didn't."

Anytime you need love baby I'm on your side (I'm on your side)  
Just let me be the one (let me be the one, let me be the one, let me be the one, alright)  
Anytime you need love baby you're in my heart (you're in my heart)  
I can make it alright…

"But we're here now. Me in pain, you…not in pain," Ron said, pausing, and gesturing to Hermione, who withheld a laugh.

"I'm in pain. Watching you you like this. But I think I can make you feel better," Hermione said.

"You can? I thought you forgot the spell?" Ron said, and Hermione nodded.

"I did. But I know another way," she cooed, and took his face in one hand and placed her lips on his. Her body tingled as he kissed her back. She didn't know if this hurt him or not, but she was hoping it didn't. Kissing someone was not supposed to be painful.

"Yes," Ron said, pulling away. "That definitely made me feel better." Hermione laughed, and took his hands again. "I'm still hurting, but it made me feel better. But Hermione, I don't know if that'll be our first and last kiss…I'm getting tired."

"It won't be our last," she said sharply. "Before you know it, Harry will be back. You'll be alright, and I will to. I promise you, it won't be our last. If you need me, I'll be there for you. Just hold on to me, will you? I promise, it'll be alright."

And that promise she would keep. And anytime he needed her, she would be there. And just as he wanted, she would keep their friendship for the rest of her life. And his.

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Disclaimer: The characters, setting, and everything but the song and the plot is J.K. Rowling's. The song—"Anytime"—is by Kelly Clarkson. The plot is mine. The plot will always be mine, the song will always be Kelly Clarkson's, and everything else will always be J.K. Rowling's.

Author's Note: I enjoyed writing this. I didn't think it was my best work, but I loved writing it.


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